With Texas A&M fans' hopes for the season running on empty, Kyle Field reflecting it

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Texas A&M quarterback Nick Starkel (17) watches the football after a fumble against Auburn during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)

COLLEGE STATION -- One of the biggest sources of pride at Texas A&M is a $483 million cathedral to college football at the highest level.

From the cheers in unison to the swaying of the stands (and the press box) between quarters, Kyle Field has been something for Aggies to brag about. But as A&M prepares for its final home game at 6 p.m. Saturday against New Mexico (3-6), it's clear Kyle Field isn't what it used to be.

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As A&M (5-4) was losing three home games to SEC opponents, even the maroon-backed seats couldn't disguise the lack of fans inside the fourth-largest stadium in the country.

The emptiness inside Kyle Field could reflect the apathy surrounding a program that appears to be on the verge of a coaching change. This week's biggest headlines have been about what will happen to Kevin Sumlin and who will replace him, not about the Lobos and the final three games of the season.

Last week's 42-27 loss to No. 10 Auburn was not only the Aggies' third home defeat this season and 18th this decade, but it sealed A&M's fifth straight year of eight regular-season wins or fewer.

Sumlin acknowledged he didn't know why A&M has struggled at home against conference opponents, specifically in the SEC West. The Aggies' last divisional win at home was on Oct. 3, 2015, against Mississippi State.

"I don't know the answer to that," Sumlin said last weekend. "It's certainly something that is probably the elephant in the room."

The reported attendance of 100,257, which accounts for the number of tickets sold, didn't reflect the number of bodies inside the stadium with a capacity of 102,577. While the student section along the visiting sideline was predominantly full, other sections were vacant.

Minutes before the game, reporters in the press box estimated Kyle Field was roughly 60 percent full, a number that increased after the 11 a.m. kickoff. But by the fourth quarter, when Auburn was on its way to victory, the crowd had mostly emptied.

A lack of fans in the seats could indicate a coaching change is imminent. When Kim Anderson was fired as Missouri's men's basketball coach earlier this year, he made a poignant observation about how attendance reflected where his fate stood.

"I always told my staff that when the people quit coming to games, that's when we won't be here anymore," Anderson said on an SEC teleconference in March. "That's what happened."

The fans that show up will not only be there to witness the final game for A&M's departing players. They could also witness Sumlin make history.

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With a win Saturday, Sumlin will become only the fifth coach in program history to win 50 career games. Only R.C. Slocum and Jackie Sherrill have accomplished the feat in the post-World War II era, and Sumlin's .662 winning percentage only trails Slocum (.721) during that time period.

If the trend of recent weeks continues, Kyle Field won't be anywhere close to capacity to capture any history made Saturday.

But for some players such as senior punter Shane Tripucka, that's not how they'll remember their home stadium.

"There's been some games at this place when it's just rocking," Tripucka said. "You can feel the place shake."

The atmosphere hasn't lived up to the stadium's reputation in recent weeks. And it probably won't this weekend, given the state of the program.

But eventually, Tripucka knows Kyle Field will shake, sway and roar once again.

"There's a million memories that I could say that have been amazing at this place," Tripucka said. "There will continue to be games like that as long as it's here."